THE VERY VERY VERY LONG DAY EXHIBITION CATALOG 1 THE VERY VERY VERY LONG DAY · · · · · · · · · · A Virtual Exhibition · · · · · · · · · August 22, 2020 Curatorial Statement #TVVVLD Self Help Graphics & Art presents The Very Very Very Long Day, a virtual group exhi- bition curated by Marvella Muro, featuring artists from our teaching artists cohort and Featuring Advisory Committee, documenting their collective experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The exhibition opens virtually August 22, 2020. Pavel Acevedo Cynthia Navarro Since the implementation of the mandatory quarantine in mid-March, the perception Martha Carrillo Jennifer Payan of time has blurred and morphed into what seems to be one Very Very Very Long Day. Time is obsolete, yet five months have passed, bearing witness to a global standstill Gabriella Claro Monica Perez while simultaneously experiencing a nationwide uprising. We first found ourselves Clover Andrea Ramirez scrambling to adapt to a new way of life while watching the number of COVID-19 cases rise and the economy sink. Our anxieties are magnified by the restrictions to physically Victoria Delgadillo Diego Robles be with family and friends, primarily when an illness or death affects a loved one. The Yaneli Delgado Oscar Rodriguez inability to practice traditional mourning rituals further deepens the void in our hearts. Flor Flores Viktor Rosas The pandemic has also shed light on the many systematic inequities affecting peo- ple of color, on a national level. For one, communities of color are the most impacted Gustavo Garcia Marianne Sadowski by COVID-19 - from economic well being to health and security - and yet historically Rafael Haro Pete Tovar receive the least amount of resources. These factors, including the growing frustrations generated by the pandemic, were further exacerbated by the video of George Floyd’s Michelle Lopez Dewey Tafoya killing, with the Black Lives Matter movement exemplifying the strength and courage of Rosalie Lopez Arleny Vargas the human spirit at its core. The Very Very Very Long Day exhibition is not only a doc- Ariel Mar Ernesto Vasquez umentation of many issues currently at the forefront, but also honors the human spirit, people’s perseverance, and to some extent, determination to create new normalcy to Dalila Paola Mendez Mario Ybarra Jr. avoid breaking. Connie Mendoza Joan Zamora The works in the exhibition are windows to a specific time, recordings of tangible and Chynna Monforte intangible events, and experiences. As we continue to celebrate birthdays and special occasions, walk our dogs and attempt to follow a routine in this new normal, we look to the day where we can stand strong, hand in hand, and without masks once again. 2 3 PAVEL ACEVEDO @pavel_acevedo About Pavel is a printmaker and muralist originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, and based in River- side. His artwork is inspired by the traditional Mexican printmaking and imagery, cre- ating stories that emerge from contemporary events. His murals are at The Wignall Art Museum and Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, La Sierra University, and a public wall in Riverside, California. He has exhibited between Southern California and the Bay Area, including the Getty Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA and We Rise LA in 2019. He was a grant recipient of the James Irvine Foundation and received an artist fellow- ship at KALA Art Institute in Berkeley and is part of Speedball’s roster of printmakers. Past artist residencies include College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita and Horned Toad Print Shop in El Paso, TX. Artist’s Statement There are elders’ stories telling how nature rules itself and how humans are connected to nature. When natural disasters happen, elders respond, “It’s not a problem for na- ture. It will restore itself, and the species will overcome and come together. Man will feel as if they conquered nature, but in no time, nature will take over and end man’s greed. The events happening now are all connected and against our community. We PAVEL ACEVEDO must join in solidarity against all the injustices and defunds systems that don’t support life. Mutual Aid/Ayuda Mutua, 2020 linocut, Ed. 10 A child representing an entity calls for solidarity with her fist. She has multiple masks 24 x 18 in. - paper size around her - one being a Jaguar, an homage to the stories taught by my elders to over- $400.00 come and unify. 4 5 MARTHA CARRILLO @heartonarts About Martha Carrillo is a visual and theatrical artist with expertise in prop-making, set decoration, and extensive experience in printmaking and large scale papier-mache objects. Martha is part of Self Help Graphics & Art Barrio Mobile Art Studio team of MARTHA CARRILLO teaching artists and has worked with The Music Center, Center Theater Group and others. Mexican-American, 2020 glass paint on plexiglass Artist’s Statement 8 x 10 in. $250.00 The quarantine has had me thinking about so much. About identity and who is more Mexican? How many generations in the States does it take one to be an American? As a first generation and LA native from Mexican immigrant parents, I wonder, how many generations do we need to prove that this is our home? 6 7 GABRIELLA CLARO @tragic4l About Gabby Claro is a 22-year-old artist from South Central LA. Focusing on mediums such as screen printing and painting, Gabby’s work is deeply rooted in social consciousness and empowerment. gabriella claro Artist’s Statement Future Generations, 2020 While this piece is heavily inspired by the recent uprisings, I’ve also used this time and mixed media (paint and embroidery) artwork to reflect. Continually thinking about how our actions, language, and ignorance 20 x 24 in. can deeply affect our youth, the portraits of Aiyana Jones and Tamir Rice are included $250.00 to honor the young lives taken by violence. 8 9 TRENELY “CLOVER” GARCIA @thecloversigns About Clover grew up in South Central. She is a member of Ni Santas an all women artists collective. She has a passion for typography and often includes text in her art work. In 2017, Clover was invited to publish her very first serigraph print through Self Help Graphics & Art’s Professional Printmaking Program. The print titled Los caminos de la vida reinvisions what her neighborhood of South Central would be like, if the residents had more green space. Artist’s Statement TRENELY “CLOVER” GARCIA I feel like I’m buried alive, like I’m trapped in a cage even though I am able to get Enterrada viva, 2020 out. Guilty, guilty of being happy in a chaotic but enlightened time surrounded by the watercolor and black ink on watercolor paper beauty of the land and this concrete jungle having downtown next door & its fast pace. 8 x 8 in. Media tristona, kind of sad. Prints of the painting are available for purchase through NFS @thecloversigns. 10 11 VICTORIA DELGADILLO @ victoriadelgadillo4637 About Victoria Delgadillo works in various forms of visual art (painting, print, digital art, film), but her main art practice is in engagement and collaboration with collectives and com- munities through participatory art. She believes that displaying her work in non-tradi- tional community accessible spaces, invites the under-valued audience to participate in the art discourse. Artist’s Statement Avelina is a dancer, writer, performer and a gracious young woman on the verge of her VICTORIA DELGADILLO adult life in Oakland, California. Our love of family, culture and traditions urge us to im- Avelina’s Quinceanera, 2020 provise, even when we cannot be together in our usual shared spaces filled with hugs, watercolor delicious food and comfort. During the Coronavirus pandemic on May 30, 2020, Ave- 16 x 20 in. lina’s family hosted her Quinceañera via Zoom--complete with decorations, a beautiful ball gown, well wishes, blessings, dancing, performances, poetry, gifts, a brindis, and $750.00 cake. Avelina’s Quinceañera is about our perseverant malleability to continue as fami- ly, to remain in the now, to celebrate humanity even when social matters command us to seek justice and to help those who lack basic reassurance. 12 13 YANELI DELGADO About Yaneli Delgado is a proud Mexican American born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. She graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, and four years later, she graduated from U.C. Santa Barbara with a double major in Sociology and Spanish. Ya- neli moved back to South Central L.A. and wanted to be a resource to students in the community. While she continued to work at her former high school and Nava College Prep Academy, she was inspired to go back to school. Delgado found her interests in Printmaking and is currently at CSU Long Beach, where she will be receiving her Art Education Credentials by Fall 2020. Many African American, Chicana/o, Mexican, Latin American muralists, and printmakers have influenced her work. She believes a printing press can be a powerful tool for the artist as he or she can send a powerful message with a touch of ink. Artist’s Statement 2020 is a linocut print that reflects the current situation that the world is witnessing. The woman is wearing a shirt that says “Defund the Police” with a poster sign quoting Au- YANELI DELGADO dre Lorde. The subject has sun rays around, representing revolutionary hope. This print was also inspired by the artist’s personal experience during this pandemic and how she 2020, 2020 has coped. linocut, Ed. 7 15 x 11 in. $250.00 14 15 FLOR FLORES About Flor Flores is a writer and artist, and part of the Self Help Graphics artists cohort, who lives in Los Angeles. Flor joined ‘Soy Artista’ with Self Help Graphics in 2016 and start- ed using art such as silkscreen printing and spray painting to advocate for social justice issues in her community of Boyle Heights.